Hishuk'ish Tsawalk
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hishuk’ish tsawalk TSESHAHT FIRST NATION NEWSLETTER VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4 Inside this issue: EOC Report to the Community ……….…..…..1-3 Comprehensive & Specific Claims Update …..13-14 Patient Travel ………………..……….….………...…..4 RCMP Info …………………..……………………….......15-16 Communications Express Consent ………....….4 Councillor Ken Watts Update ……………….....17-21 COVID-19 Safe Operating Plan …………………...5 NTC Graduation & Scholarship Information .22-23 Outreach & Counselling …………………..……....…6 Bear Smart ………………...……………....….………...….24 COVID-19 - Tseshaht Finances …………………….7 Service Canada Assistance Info ………………....25-26 Opening our Medicine Box ………….…………....8 Recycling & Garbage Info ……………….………....27-28 Office Services Assistant job posting …………..9 Referrals Reporting Analyst job posting ..10-11 Beach Keeper & Visitors Attendant …………..12 Tseshaht Emergency Operations Centre COVID-19 OFFICE CLOSURE Report to the Community On March 17, 2020 the Tseshaht Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was Tseshaht Administration advised by Emergency Management BC that a Provincial Declaration of Office continues to be Emergency was to be declared and that BC would be implementing measures closed at this time to all to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Tseshaht then declared a State of members of the public. Emergency on March 18, 2020 and began planning for the Tseshaht response to the Pandemic. Tseshaht EOC The Tseshaht EOC consists of community members and sometimes Tseshaht staff members who have been trained for emergencies. Many of us have had at least two weeks of training and some of us have taken other courses to update us on emergency measures. More than a dozen Tseshaht have taken the Emergency Preparedness courses. However, some who have taken the courses no longer wish to volunteer during emergencies. Whenever there is an emergency affecting Tseshaht, we immediately establish an EOC made up of trained people. In the past we have dealt with flooding, tsunami warnings, a significant wind storm, and a threatening forest fire. Tseshaht also has an Emergency Preparedness and Climate Change committee, elected by the community, which sets policy for the emergency operations. I believe the committee was established by community resolution in 2012. Response to COVID-19 Pandemic After the Tseshaht Declaration of a State of Emergency, which will continue until June 30, the EOC began drafting and implementing a plan of action. That was taken to Council and we asked Council to endorse it, which they did. The EOC is comprised of Holly McLaughlin (Director of the EOC), Brandee Sam (Logistics Officer) of the EOC) and Hugh Braker, (Information Officer and Deputy Director of the EOC). Gina Pearson worked with us for a few weeks as the Planning Officer of the EOC but her job finished two weeks ago. PAGE 2 The EOC immediately closed all public facilities on Tseshaht lands including the Administration office, Hahuupayuk, the Tseshaht Daycare, Maht Mahs, the Cultural Centre, the two Playgrounds, the Youth Centre and the park at the Dam. Tseshaht Administration went on curtailed hours with no public being allowed in the building except for extraordinary reasons. The Tribal Council also closed down voluntarily. Tseshaht Market and Orange Bridge Cannabis curtailed their hours and implemented measures to prevent exposure. Other measures implemented by the EOC included: Distributing halibut, clams, mussels, urchins and some oysters. Priority was given to elders. We did this so elders would not have to go to the grocery stores as much. Elders are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Halibut was also distributed to other Tseshaht members including many of those living away from home. Putting up signs at the Playgrounds, the park at the Dam, and the Cemetery advising that the facilities were closed. Unfortunately, we are told the sign at the Youth Centre has been vandalized. Distributing cleaning supplies. Not all cleaning supplies kill the Corona virus. We distributed effective hand sanitizer, bleach, sanitizer wipes, Lysol cleaning liquid, and also gloves and masks. Again, elders were given priority. We are currently working with Tseshaht market on this and hope to distribute more cleaning supplies in the near future. Distributing COVID-19 relief cheques to Tseshaht members. First the cheques went out to elders and then later to all other members over 16 and under 60. These cheques were to assist the membership in dealing with added cost caused by the pandemic or loss of income because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cheques were for $300 each. Distributing information. For the first month we published four special band bulletins with information on how to avoid the corona virus and information on measures the EOC was taking. We then moved to an online information distribution with weekly live facetime announcements on measures being taken and other information. Putting up signs. We put signs up on the reserves advising that the reserves are restricted access only. Unfortunately, we are advised that the sign at Teepis has been torn down. The signs were put up largely because of community requests. I am not sure of the effectiveness of the signs or of any community ‘security’ type measures. Unlike other First Nations, Tseshaht has a highway running through the middle of Tsahaheh with hundreds of people from off our reserve driving on it every day. In addition, Tseshaht Market and the Cannabis store have dozens of people stopping in every day who do not live on reserve and may not even live in Port Alberni. Hahuupayak, the NTC and Tseshaht all have employees who live off reserve and some who live on the East side of the Island. 60% of Hahuupayak students are from off reserve. Mailmen and women come to deliver mail to the mailboxes on reserve and those mailpeople do not live on reserve. Several businesses on reserve receive deliveries every week from people who live off reserve. And the list goes on. So I am not yet convinced that a process could be devised to prevent people from coming on our reserves. At the present time the EOC is keeping in contact with Emergency Management BC and ISC. We attend two weekly teleconferences each week. These keep us updated on developments. We also get emails from Emergency Management BC daily. We are also waiting to see if the Federal Government will release more funds to First Nations to deal with the Pandemic. On May 14, the EOC met and considered the advice of the BC Chief Medical Officer and the FNHA and then made recommendations to Council which Council accepted. Those recommendations are: (1) that the Tseshaht Aboriginal Day Celebrations at the Dam be cancelled this year, (2) that Maht Mahs and the Cultural Centre remain closed for the rest of the summer and that Hahuupayak gym cannot be booked by members for cultural practices for the rest of the summer, (3) that all playgrounds PAGE 3 remain closed for the rest of the summer, (4) that the Dam be opened but people are asked to abide by social distancing with anyone other than the people who live in their house, (5) and that the Tseshaht administration offices can reopen on a limited basis with measures to prevent any spread of COVID-19. Council also directed Darren and the EOC to meet with Hahuupayak and the Daycare. This happened and the Daycare advised that they are not reopening as it is almost impossible to socially distance infants. Hahuupayak is possibly reopening but with strict rules to prevent any contamination from COVID-19. Hahuupayak will limit the number of students in each class to 6 and will concentrate on student needing special assistance. The EOC was impressed with Hahuupayuks efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Hahuupayak plan is comprehensive. -Hugh Braker, Tseshaht EOC Information Officer PAGE 4 WHAT KIND OF Newsletters COMMUNICATIONS Urgent Bulletins Community Engagement/Meeting CAN YOU EXPECT Notices TO RECEIVE? Community Events Information & More! PAGE 6 “My past is not who I am. What happened to me is not my identity, I am not my behaviours. I am the pure spirit knitted by the Creator. My identity is in my ancestors, my culture and my faith in who I know I was created to be. I am Unique. I am me.” –Unknown “Hey everyone I am still here!” Youth Outreach & Counselling with Linda Pelech Online: https://doxy.me/lindapelech Phone: 250.720.3091 When: 5:00pm-12:00 midnight Who: Any Youth or Adult Wednesdays - Sundays PAGE 7 Tseshaht Finances and COVID-19 Report to the Community At the last Council meeting, Council asked that a message go to the community explaining the effect of COVID-19 on the Tseshaht finances. This is that message. Council also supported requests by the Tseshaht Director of Finance to address the situation. COVID-19 is having a significant effect on the Tseshaht financial situation. Tseshaht Market has seen a significant drop in sales and profit. Since the Province instituted measures to stop the spread of the Pandemic, there has been a marked drop in the number customers at the market. The Market had already noticed a negative effect from the Maanulth members loss of tax exemption. How long the Tseshaht Market losses continue and how deep they will go depends on the course of action BC and Canada take in fighting this Pandemic. Canada continues to ban cruise ships from BC and the border with he US will remain closed until at least the third week of June. The Vancouver airport is only seeing a very few flights a day. This all means that the number of tourists going to the West Coast is way down. In addition, domestic travel is way down. Tourists from Vancouver have trouble getting to Vancouver Island. Tseshaht Market has reduced its hours and staff but will still see a profit loss in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.